Wedoany.com Report-Dec 05, Tech company Meta, which owns brands like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced a new plan to achieve up to 4 gigawatts of nuclear capacity in the U.S. by the early 2030s to meet its growing data needs.
Meta has issued a request for proposals seeking nuclear power developers with strong community engagement, development, licensing and execution expertise to bid on both small modular reactors and large nuclear reactors. The move aims to accelerate the availability of new nuclear generators and create sufficient scale to achieve material cost reductions through the deployment of multiple units, both to meet Meta's future energy needs and to drive the decarbonization of the broader industry.
The tender notice notes that Meta is open to the request for proposals and is willing to work with others in the industry to bring new nuclear energy to the grid. The deadline for eligibility is Jan. 3, and the deadline for initial proposals is Feb. 7.
In a blog post, Meta further explained that nuclear energy is more capital intensive, takes longer to develop, has more regulatory requirements, and has a longer service life, so it needs to be involved earlier in the development life cycle of a nuclear energy project and consider its operational requirements when designing contracts. In addition, scaling up the deployment of nuclear technologies is the best opportunity to reduce costs quickly, and working with partners across programs and locations will ensure that strategic deployments can be made.
The move follows the lead of tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, all of which are also actively seeking to harness clean energy sources such as nuclear to meet the growing energy demands of their data centers. Like renewables, nuclear provides carbon-free electricity, but crucially, it also provides power around the clock, which is crucial for data centers.
With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, the data demand of technology companies such as Meta will continue to grow, and the demand for energy will further increase. Therefore, the use of clean energy sources such as nuclear power to meet these needs will not only help drive the sustainable development of the company, but also help drive the decarbonization process of the entire industry.
